Ruminative Thinking in Chronic Depression: Concept and Validity of Measures

1790

Abstract

Despite large amount of empirical evidence in support of rumination as a risk factor of depression onset and chronification, theoretical foundations of ruminative thinking are still being discussed. This includes the issue of so-called constructive, or reflec¬tive, ruminations. Objective: This study gives a theoretical review of different views on rumination, empirically tests the idea of constructive and non-constructive rumi¬native thinking, and tests the validity of the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS, Rus sian version) [38]. Study design: We conducted a factor analysis of adapted RRS, as well as an intercorrelational analysis of this scale, Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-r), and the COPE Inventory; hypotheses were tested in a general population group (n=476) and two clinical groups (patients with depressive disorders, n=53, and patients with different diagnoses with recent suicide attempts, n=41). Results: Our theoretical review examines ruminative thinking as a dysfunctional coping strategy (E. Watkins) from the perspective of the structural-dynamic model of thinking in the course of creative problem-solving (V. Zaretsky, A. Kholmogorova). Rumination is conceptualized as getting stuck «in a loop» at certain levels of organization of cognitive processes, which substitutes motivation focus on actual problem solving. The resulting four-factor structure of RRS has good psychometric properties and strong correla¬tions with different psychopathological symptoms and dysfunctional coping strategies (namely, psychological and behavioral avoidance and venting negative emotions); these correlations are found in all resulting factors but one, which implies that it may have a special status. Conclusion: The Russian version of RRS shows good preliminary psychometric characteristics and is viable for practical purposes. The idea of construc¬tive rumination discussed in literature has not been confirmed empirically. ¬

General Information

Keywords: rumination, chronification, depressive disorders, cognitive factors, four-level organization of thinking model, coping strategies, reflection

Journal rubric: Empirical Researches

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2021290307

For citation: Pugovkina O.D., Syrokvashina A.D., Istomin M.A., Kholmogorova A.B. Ruminative Thinking in Chronic Depression: Concept and Validity of Measures. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2021. Vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 88–115. DOI: 10.17759/cpp.2021290307. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Olga D. Pugovkina, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Senior Research Associate, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Counseling, Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry — Branch of The Serbsky Federal Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2878-9843, e-mail: olgapugovkina@yandex.ru

Anna D. Syrokvashina, graduate student, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0691-0892, e-mail: asyrokvashina@gmail.com

Mikhail A. Istomin, Medical Psychologist, Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Сare, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5713-3766, e-mail: stominmikhailan@gmail.com

Alla B. Kholmogorova, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Leading Researcher, Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry (A Branch of the National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology), Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5194-0199, e-mail: kholmogorova@yandex.ru

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